Cafe Piazza Dolce fundraiser to aid Italian earthquake victims

Monday

Aug 29, 2016 at 2:34 PMAug 29, 2016 at 3:08 PM

Alessandra Siniscalo was in a midnight-feeding haze of new motherhood when she first heard about the Italian earthquake.

Roused by the images of destruction on the late news, she began to panic when she realized her entire family was vacationing not far from the stricken region. She soon learned that Amatrice, a historic city close to Rome, home to 14th-century churches and artworks, was largely reduced to rubble by the 6.2 magnitude quake Aug. 24, according to Winchester Star media partner WCVB-TV.

“It was really scary for us, and the news kept getting worse and worse,” she said.

Fortunately for Siniscalo, owner of Winchester’s Café Piazza Dolce, her family members were safe, several hours from the quake’s epicenter. However, she said she had never felt so strongly about taking immediate action.

“They’re a small town and we’re a small town,” she said. “I felt I had to do something.”

Siniscalo reached out to an old friend, Liza Iolli, dean of student life at Woodward School, a private school in Quincy, whose students Siniscalo sometimes tutored in Italian.

“She is very close to her roots and I wanted to make sure she was OK,” Siniscalo said. “Then I said, 'We have to do something!'”

Reaching out to the Sons of Italy organization, the two woman created a fundraiser that will get aid where it is most urgently needed.

Through Sept. 3, Café Piazza Dolce will contribute 15 percent of the proceeds from sales of pasta all’Amatriciana, to relief efforts. Pasta all’Amatriciana was created as a tribute to the city, and includes pancetta, tomatoes, red onion, red wine and Romano cheese. It is one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, Siniscalo said.

“I won the heart of my husband when we met five years ago with this,” she said. “It is one of the most amazing dishes, and each is made to order.”

Those who want to help without eating pasta can also donate directly to the restaurant’s fund, and receive a free dessert in return. Siniscalo said they are also collecting canned goods, personal hygiene supplies and bottled water.

Depending on the community response and the need for assistance, the fundraiser may continue past the Sept. 3 cutoff, Siniscalo said.